Courage | Pastor Chris Kouba

Hey, grab your Bibles, open them up with me to Joshua chapter 1.

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

Joshua chapter 1.

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

That worship was so good.

Golly.

I just don't want to take it for granted.

It's every week, but man, that was really, really good.

Just being able to sing the truths and the songs of scripture and just being able to declare these things.

We're not one of those prosperity churches which just says, hey, if you have enough faith, you're going to get everything you want.

That ain't true.

But we do believe in the promises of God.

And we lean on them.

And we let them uphold us.

And we let it encourage us.

And that's really, in so many ways, what this series that we're in right now is all about.

Let me encourage you to grab your cards.

Everybody grab your cards and wave them at me so I can see that you got them.

They should have been in your seats whenever you showed up.

If you were here last week, that this is number two that you can kind of add to your list.

But I'm encouraging you to be able to take these cards and to use them to be able to help you memorize God's word.

We don't just want to teach each one of these verses every week.

We're doing one verse every single week.

And we're going to tell you what these verses are from in just a moment.

But we want to put these verses to memory.

So here's what I want you to do as well.

You can take a look here at the QR code that is on the screen.

You can actually take a picture of that.

And we've got last week's verse and this week's verse that you can download.

And we know that some of you are just addicted to your phones.

All right.

Like you're on your phone all the time.

You're not going to look at one of these cards, okay?

So here's what we do.

We created a lock screen or a home screen for you to be able to put up the verse for you to be able to help memorize it, okay?

And so therefore, whenever you look at it, you can remind I don't need to be on my phone, but I do need to memorize the verse.

That's what you need to be thinking, okay?

Uh but take a look at that.

You can download that.

Here's another thing, too.

You can also use the the visual to send it to somebody else.

Now don't send this to your wife and be like, you really need to hear this, okay?

Uh don't do that.

What we're asking you, though, is that people need encouragement.

I promise you, there are people all around you.

You don't realize it, and they need to be encouraged.

And God's word is the greatest source of encouragement more than anything you could say.

And so let this be a tool that you can use to be able to send that to them.

So here's what we're gonna do, okay?

Last week, if you were here, uh I challenged you to memorize our verse for the week, Philippians chapter 4, verse 6.

Philippians 4:6

And so what's gonna happen is in just a moment, we're gonna put the words up on the screen.

And if you were here last week, you're not allowed to look at the screens, okay?

We're gonna see how well you did.

If you weren't here last week, then you can cheat and you can read the verse with us, okay?

But if you were, no cheating.

Let's see how you do, okay?

Here's this verse.

Ready?

Here we're gonna say it together.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

I think we got a lot of work to do.

That's what I'm kind of sensing.

That's okay, no judgment.

But I do want you to put these verses to memory.

I know sometimes they can kind of trip up.

With Thanksgiving, it always trips me up whenever I do this verse.

Uh, but let me just encourage you to put these words to memory.

Let me remind you where we're getting these verses.

Uh, UVersion Bible app is an app that everybody in this room should have on your phone.

It is an incredible app that gives a bunch of different translations of God's word, gives a bunch of different reading plans.

Highly, highly recommend it.

And every year they put out the top engaged, highlighted, and shared verses for the previous year, and they put a list out.

And we're looking at the top 10 list.

We chose five of the verses, and we're gonna challenge you to not only memorize those verses, but we're gonna preach the verse in its context every single week.

There's 31,000 verses in the Bible, and we believe you're gonna hear me say this almost every week.

This is one of my favorite verses, the one we're gonna do today.

Like I love all of them, but I'm telling you, this one today is good.

It is such a good verse.

So let me just encourage you uh to put this verse to memory, but also let's read it out loud together because some of you may be hearing it for the very first time, all right?

Joshua chapter 1, verse 9 is where we're gonna be today.

Joshua 1:9

You can look at your card or you can look at the screen.

Let's read it together.

Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous, do not be frightened, do not be dismayed.

For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Let's pray together.

Father God, we do ask today for courage.

We ask for strength.

We ask that you would be with us in this moment.

We pray, God, that we would move beyond an academic exercise in these moments together, and that Lord, you would give us wisdom.

I pray you'd give us insight.

I pray you would lead us to be people who act and experience change.

I pray that today, Father, the Bible would speak to our hearts, not just our heads.

And Father, may you lead us to take our next step today.

And that we would do so and respond with boldness and courage.

It's in the name of Jesus that I pray.

Amen.

Let me give you some context and set this passage up for you, the scene.

Moses, who's the greatest leader of Israel that they've ever known, has just died.

This is Moses, the guy who went and led the Israelites out of generations of Egyptian slavery.

And he did it with pretty amazing miracles that happened along the way to show them his authority and his ability to be able to walk with God.

This is Moses, okay?

This is the one who along the way the people started complaining, and he prayed to God, and God provided manna, and God provided water in the middle of the desert, so he showed the people that God is a God who provides.

This is Moses who literally went onto the top of the mountain and would spoke to God and would come down, and it said that his face was glowing because literally he had the presence of God on him, and so the people look at him and they clearly know okay, he's been with God.

We should listen to what he says.

That Moses has died.

Go with me to Joshua chapter 1, beginning in verse 1.

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

Look at what it says.

After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' assistant.

Moses, my servant, is dead.

Now, therefore, arise.

Go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.

Picture this moment.

You're Joshua.

You've just watched the funeral of the only leader that you've ever known.

The guy who stepped into the water and the water split.

Okay?

The guy who time after time again went off, heard from God, and came back, gave the law, gave instructions to the people, like that guy.

And now it says words where God speaks, and it's not super encouraging.

Hey Joshua, Moses, my servant, is dead.

Translation.

It's time to move on.

Like we gotta go.

And can you imagine what it would be like to be in that moment, and it's the ultimate next man up scenario?

Like, there's no easing into this thing.

There's no, we'll test you, you can shadow somebody, and then you can figure out where you get some opportunities to lead, and then we'll watch you lead, and then you're gonna no, no, no, no, you're up.

Can you imagine the pressure that Joshua had to fill?

Like not only was he having to do this, but he's filling the biggest shoes of all, which is Moses.

This is like the guy who has to follow Michael Jordan.

Okay?

This is like the band that plays after cold play, all right?

This is like the CEO who takes over for the beloved longtime founder.

There's pressure.

You don't ever want to be the guy that follows the guy.

You want to be the guy that follows the guy that follows the guy because you know that guy, after he follows the guy, is gonna get run out of town because he's not as good as the guy.

And then after that's all done, then you can come in and you can step up.

But you never want to be the guy that follows the legend.

Yet that's exactly what God is calling Joshua to do.

It's one thing for him to step into the leadership capacity, he immediately gives them a responsibility.

He says, You are to take the people and lead them into the promised land.

Now, on the one hand, that's a pretty good assignment because we saw in God's word that the promised land is said to be filled with milk and honey.

It's said to be a place that's gonna be amazing, it's gonna be great.

It's the whole reason why they were leaving the Egyptian slavery so they could go to this land that was overflowing and fruitful and gonna be awesome.

Here's the problem: the land is inhabited by people.

There are nations living there, and these nations have large military campaigns designed to protect their land from being invaded.

And here's Joshua, his assignment is hey, I need you to step up, even though you're grieving, but I need you to step up.

You need to lead the people into the land, and the people are a group of people who are untrained military civilians, and I need you to use them to go defeat trained military campaigns and take over the land.

And let's be honest, the people of Israel, they did not prove in the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness on the way to the promised land, they did not come across as a very easy group of people to lead.

They were whining, they complained.

They get water and they want to want more water, they get food and then they want more food.

In fact, one time they thought Moses was taking so long on top of the mountain that they literally took off all of their jewelry, they melted it down and made an idol that they worship to.

I mean, this is a really rough group of people.

You can imagine of all the things that Joshua is dealing with, skepticism naturally creeps in.

Are you sure?

Like, are you sure that you want me to do this?

Which is why I believe, look at your text, in verse 6, it says there, be strong and courageous.

Look at verse 7.

Only be strong and very courageous.

Look at verse 9.

It says, Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous?

Is this because Joshua was hard of hearing?

No, it was because Joshua was fearful and needed to be reminded.

Some of you are in the middle of a Joshua moment right now.

Your next man up.

I've been in those moments in my life before.

I've been in those moments many times as a pastor.

And all of a sudden there's some unspeakable tragedy that takes place, and I'm supposed to show up and I'm supposed to have something to say.

And I sit in my car and I'm like, I'm not qualified for this.

I don't have any idea what I'm supposed to do right now.

I don't have any idea what I'm supposed to say.

There's no book that's gonna tell me what to do here.

I've been in situations where I've had decisions that I've had to make that greatly affect the future of the church, and I feel the weight of that.

And in the midst of that, I also am sitting there and I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

I don't feel like I'm qualified for this.

Maybe you've experienced this on a business level where you all of a sudden have to make decisions for your company that you know are going to be both risky and also costly.

And you're thinking, nobody prepared me for this.

Or maybe when COVID took place and all of a sudden you had to shift on a die, there was no playbook for that.

Maybe you're a parent and you're dealing with the child and you're trying to figure out, you see that they're acting out, you see that they're doing certain things, but am I supposed to respond with grace in this situation, or am I supposed to come and bring the hammer down in this situation and bring discipline?

What am I supposed to do?

And it's not clear, it's not a wrong answer, it's just confusing.

But here's the thing you're up, and it's your call, and you're the one that has to embrace it, whether you're ready or whether you're not.

This is what Joshua is dealing with in this moment, and what Joshua is being told repeatedly is to be strong and courageous.

God is saying, Hey, you're up, but you need to step up there with confidence.

Don't go in there and apologize and make a bunch of disclaimers and all that kind of stuff.

No, no, no, no.

This is the time.

Step up and lead.

What does this actually mean?

The Hebrew word for strong is hazak, which means to be firm or to prevail.

The Hebrew word for courage here is amats, thinking I'm at it, staying at the task even when you're afraid.

Notice something critical.

Both of these words, strong and courageous, are both action words, not feeling words.

If you're gonna express courage, you're gonna have to act, not feel it.

In fact, I would tell you, at times and many times, courage is when you act in spite of your fears.

Here's the bottom line I want to tell you about today for this message.

Courage isn't the absence of fear.

It's faithful action despite fear.

Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's faithful action despite fear.

Real courage acknowledges that fear exists, but real courage presses through that fear and still acts.

Here's what's fascinating during research.

You think, like I love the Navy SEALs, like I just love studying the Navy SEALs and reading about the Navy SEALs and all that kind of stuff.

You think in order to be a Navy SEAL, you just are fearless.

Like you just you're scared of nothing.

What they actually revealed in the research is that, like Hell Week, for example, the time whenever the most intense time of all, whenever the SEALs are training for battle, they experience the same stress levels as everybody else.

It is exceedingly high.

What makes a Navy SEAL, though, so successful is not the absence of the stress, but the fact that they can operate with sound mind even though they're walking through that stress.

That's biblical courage.

David, you think David, whenever he was sitting there listening to this nine-foot giant with 125 pounds of armor on him, who's just screaming out insults and threats over the nation of Israel?

Do you think that he was fearless in that moment?

I guarantee he was scared to death.

But you want to know what David did?

In spite of his fear, he charged Goliath, he took out his stone, and he slay the giant.

Esther, Esther was one who went into the king uninvited.

Literally, you could die for that.

Do you think she was not scared about doing that?

No, I guarantee she was scared to death.

But she wanna know what she did?

She still went in and did it anyway.

How about Daniel?

Daniel, whenever he bowed down and he prayed to his God three times a day, which by the way, I love this verse in the scripture.

I found it in my time with the Lord this week.

It says, as he often did.

I prayed like crazy that my kids would have an as they often do moment.

I prayed for my family.

I prayed for our church, that we would be marked by people who, yeah, we we we pray all the time because that's what we always do.

It's just who we are.

But it says, do you think he was not afraid whenever the the consequences of being caught for that was to be thrown into lion's den, and then he gets sentenced to that?

You think he wasn't trembling with fear?

I guarantee he was, but you want to know what?

He did it anyway.

Folks, what I want you to see is this it's not wrong to be afraid, but it is wrong to allow your fears to keep you from acting in faith.

Did you know that the words do not fear are found 365 times in the Bible?

I love that.

It's one for every day.

So therefore, if you're fearful and you wake up and you're fearful, guess what?

God says to you, do not fear.

He's not getting on to you like you're wrong, but he is saying this.

Hey, you're gonna be afraid, but don't act like that.

You instead need to lead in such a way where you are living out of your faith, not from your fear.

You can act with courage while you're scared to death, which is encouraging because guess what that means?

That means that we don't have to wait until we feel brave in order to show courage.

Let's read the verse another time.

I want to point out three truths that help us understand how to have biblical courage.

Joshua chapter 1, verse 9.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

First truth I want you to see.

God's word doesn't suggest courage, it commands it.

God's word doesn't suggest courage, it commands it.

The start of verse 9 is a question, but it's not a question that's meant to be answered.

It's a hypothetical one.

It's more like a statement in the form of a question.

Haven't I told you this?

Like you this is this is what you're supposed to do.

Like this is what I'm calling you to do.

This isn't a, hey, it'd be great if you could do it.

Hey, if you would consider it to being brave, I would I would really appreciate it.

Like I would really be wonderful.

It's a command.

You need to do this, which is a big shift from how we normally think about courage.

We tend to think of courage like it's a personality trait.

So, like some Enneagram numbers, they're really brave and they're have a lot of courage, okay?

But southern Enneagram numbers, they don't really have that much courage.

They're more sheepish and they're more meek and that kind of thing.

Or this personality trait, they're one who kind of likes confrontation, and so therefore, that's what this verse is all about.

They're gonna get all behind it.

But I'm over here, and my personality trait isn't that way, and so therefore, that's that's not for me.

Please hear me.

This is not a wiring thing, it's an obedience thing.

God is calling you to act in courage.

It doesn't mean that you're not gonna be afraid.

Of course you are, but allowing that fear to paralyze you and not walking in obedience, according to Joshua chapter 1 here, that is disobedience.

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

Please know it's gonna take courage to do the right thing at times.

It's gonna feel like at times it's gonna cost you.

I say this to my kids all the time.

Leaders do hard things.

And sometimes you're gonna have to do it alone.

Nobody else is gonna do it.

You gotta be the one that does it.

Here's what I want you to do.

I want you to take out your phone, or I want you to take out something to write with, maybe a piece of paper in the back of the seat back in front of you.

Open the notes app or something like that, and I want you to fill in this blank that I'm gonna give you.

Because God commands courage.

I will blank.

Whatever whatever gets prompted to your mind.

You don't need to delay it or avoid it.

You need to do it because God commands it.

This idea isn't just ancient history.

Modern leaders face the same choice between fear and faithful obedience.

I want you to think about the name Truett Kathy.

I hesitate to bring it up to you because, of course, we know Truitt Kathy is the one who uh used to lead Chick-fil-A, and now that I've said Chick-fil-A, all you're gonna think about is a Chick-fil-A sandwich, and it's Sunday, and you can't get one.

So I'm sorry about that.

We take that for granted now, but that at its time was a huge deal, like a monumental decision.

Sure, Kathy was a believer in Jesus and he believed in the Sabbath, and he thought the Sabbath in every way meant that he should not be open as a company.

But he also heard financial analysts who would tell him that hey, if you make this decision, you do realize that.

You are going to be really far back in line when it comes to fast food restaurants.

Because you're forsaking one of the most profitable days, especially back in the time when he was making this decision, because of airports and malls and their popularity on Sundays, not being open was going to cause him to miss out on a lot of business.

Yet sure Kathy held to his guns.

And he decided that he would be closed on Sundays.

And now, Chick-fil-A, despite only being open six days a week as opposed to seven, is the largest, most profitable fast food restaurant in the world.

In fact, Chick-fil-A is losing$1.8 billion with a B by not being open on Sundays.

$1.8 billion.

Despite that, they double per unit the number of sales at McDonald's, its closest competitor.

It's amazing.

What this shows us is that there can be fear and faith, but if you choose fear, you're gonna live with the consequences of that.

But if you choose faith, then you're also gonna have the opportunity to live with the consequences of that.

And we see here an example of unexpected success whenever you uphold biblical principles in your life.

Look at Joshua chapter 1, verse 9 again.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed.

Why?

For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Second truth I want to point out about courage.

God's presence fuels your courage.

God's presence fuels your courage.

The foundation for courage isn't positive thinking.

I can do this.

We got this.

Let's rally together.

Let's go.

It isn't self-confidence or even looking back at your past successes and thinking because it went well in the past, it means it's going to be going good in the future.

No, no, no, no.

This is so massive.

The thing that fuels your courage is God's presence.

When God's presence is there, it changes everything.

As Jacob fled from his brother Esau, God appeared to him in a dream and promised in Genesis chapter 28, verse 15, Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land.

Genesis 28:15

When Moses expressed doubt about leading the Israelites out of Egypt, God reassured him with these words.

In Exodus chapter 3, verse 12, he said, But I will be with you.

Exodus 3:12

When Joshua was taking on the role of the leader following Moses' death, God says to him in Joshua 1, verse 5, No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.

Joshua 1:5

Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

I will not leave you or forsake you.

During a time of national fear and uncertainty, God says in Isaiah chapter 41, verse 10, Fear not, for I am with you.

Isaiah 41:10

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you.

I will help you.

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Jesus' very name that is given when he is born says a whole lot about his presence.

In Matthew chapter 1, verse 23, Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us.

Matthew 1:23

His very name means he is with us.

At the Great Commission, as Jesus was leaving the earth, he says in Matthew 28, 19 through 20, go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age, at the end of Paul's life, as he was facing the challenges at his trial.

God says to him in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 17, But the Lord stood by me, and he strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.

2 Timothy 4:17

So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.

Did you know that the phrase, I will be with you, is the most repeated promise in all of the Bible.

That's because God's presence is the ultimate game changer.

In neuroscience, there's a fascinating idea, a concept called co-regulation.

It's the idea that if somebody experiences something and they find the presence of somebody else that is calm and stable and collected, it actually calms them down.

But the reverse is also true.

If someone has something that happens to them and they find people having chaos and craziness all around them, it causes them to rise to that same level.

Think about this.

Whenever my kids were little and they would fall down, they were trying to learn how to walk, and they would fall and they would hit the ground.

What we did is we made sure that we were calm and we were collected.

Oh, you're good, you're good, you're good.

As opposed to like, oh my gosh, what's going on?

And if we ever did that, what happened?

They would meet that same level and they would begin to freak out the same way.

On the other hand, the presence of a calm parent allowed them to be able to calm themselves down.

I think the same thing is true spiritually.

When chaos happens, when craziness results, and things feel unsure and unstable.

If we run to fear, guess what?

It's going to cause our fear to spike.

But if we recognize the presence of our God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, who is stable, who's consistent, who is always there, it allows us to regulate.

It doesn't necessarily mean that our situation has changed one bit.

But what it does mean is this that our perspective has.

Folks, this is why we want you to memorize this verse.

Not only so that you can have these words close to your life and in your heart, but so you can be reminded that God is with me today.

He will never leave me nor forsake me.

He may feel distant, but he is actually near.

I am preaching a lot better than you're hearing it, I can assure you of that.

Like, are you kidding me?

This stuff is big stuff.

Like it changes everything.

Like that thing that you're hung up on right now, like that issue that you're walking in here with that you're kind of thinking, I still don't know how I'm gonna get through with that.

You gotta understand something.

God's presence changes that.

Like it doesn't make you walk into it just like, well, I hope it works out.

It may totally tank and fall apart, and God is still with you.

It also may miraculously be changed in an instant, and you need to remind yourself in that moment, because you're gonna start taking credit for it.

God is with you, He is near you.

He will never leave you, He will never forsake you.

Look at Joshua chapter 1, verse 3.

Joshua 1:3

It shows the final truth I want you to see about courage.

Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you.

Just as I promised to Moses, the final truth.

God's promises require your participation.

God's promises require your participation.

God has already promised the land to the people of Israel, but that promise required courageous action to become reality.

Without courage, the Israelites would remain on the east side of the Jordan looking over there, hearing about the land they're one day we're supposed to inherit, but never being able to inherit it.

It required them to walk, it required them to move.

This pattern appears throughout scripture.

God promises, but human courage and obedience are often the bridge that transforms promises into reality.

The Israelites had to step into the flooded Jordan River before the waters parted.

They had to march around Jericho before the walls would fall.

God promises the outcome, but he invites us to participate through courageous obedience.

What's true in Scripture is true in our lives.

God has given us a very great and precious promise, but many Christians never fully experience those promises because fear keeps them from stepping out in faith.

Let me get specific about what courage may look like for you this week.

Maybe you're a parent and you need courage to have the hard conversation with your teenager or your child about the choices that they're making.

Maybe you're married and you need courage to admit that you've been wrong and ask for forgiveness.

Maybe you're single and you need courage to start dating again after being hurt.

Maybe you're in a business and you need courage to operate with integrity even when it costs you money.

Maybe you're battling addiction and you need courage to tell someone and to get help.

Maybe you need courage to forgive someone who deeply wounded you.

Maybe you need courage to take that step of faith that God's been asking you to take for months.

Joshua didn't get to wait until he felt ready.

The Jordan River was at flood stage, the enemy armies were awaiting, and God said, It's time to go.

Let's go.

And he's saying the same thing to you.

I want you to take out your phone or your note, whatever it is that you wrote down earlier, and I want you to add a little bit to it.

Because God commands courage, I will blank.

And I will get God's promise of blank.

What are you gonna receive?

If you do this, what's God gonna give you?

Is it God's peace?

Is it God's joy?

Is it seeing God's provision?

Maybe experiencing his forgiveness?

Or maybe freedom from bitterness?

Maybe for you it's experiencing God's healing.

What promise are you missing out on?

Because you haven't responded with courage.

Could you bow your heads and close your eyes all across this room?

I want you to remember you were created for courage.

It's in your spiritual DNA.

And with God's presence, you can face anything.

So would you commit to being courageous this week?

Like right where you are, would you just pray and would you commit to the Lord?

Tell him what you're thinking?

Tell him what you're afraid of, but in spite of that, would you just say, God, I'm gonna do this?

Let this just be a moment of commitment.

Some of you, the courageous act is to respond to this invitation.

You need to join United City Church.

You know this is where God is leading you to join, to give, to belong, to serve, to be in fellowship with other people.

You got all the excuses prepared and you've used them.

But you need courage today.

You need to do it.

Some of you, you know, you need to take your next step and be baptized.

You know it's your next step.

You just keep putting it off.

I'm trying to wait for the right timing.

My family's not in town.

Those are just excuses.

Have the boldness and the courage to do what God is calling you to do, and you will get to experience the joy that comes with obedience.

Would you come forward and with courage let us schedule your baptism?

Others of you need to stop trying to control and manage your life and fully give your life to Jesus.

You need to turn from your sins, you need to repent of them, you need to give your life to him.

He died on a cross for you.

He rose from the dead, he literally did all of the work.

All you have to do is receive his free gift.

The enemy wants to trick this up and make it hard.

But the reality is it's the easiest and the best thing that you will ever do.

So today, would you courageously come forward?

Let us lead you through a prayer to give your life to Jesus.

Maybe some of you need prayer.

You're committed to do your thing that you wrote down, but you know it's gonna be hard.

It's gonna be tough.

Would you let us pray for you?

Would you let us pray with you?

Father, I pray you'd give boldness and courage in these moments.

Father, would you lead your people to take public next steps?

Father, would you do what only you can do in these moments?

You have been so faithful already this morning in our church.

God, I pray you do it yet again in these moments that we have left.

Lord, may we honor and may we guard and protect this time.

Lord, may we not be shuffling around or leaving, but instead, God, may we be prayerfully responsive to what you want us to do.

If it's to pray, if it's to sing, if it's to come forward, whatever it is, God, would you lead us?

It's in the name of Jesus that I pray.

Amen.

Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

We can't wait to see you next week for any of our services at 8 30, 10, 11 30, or Espanol at 1 o'clock.